11/03/14 We picked up our new Border Terrier dog today from the breeder - Cindy Muller of Mountain High Schnauzers & Lndi’s Border Terriers. Her web site is www.LndisTerriers.com. The total cost was $1500. The dog only weighed in at 3.5#. She was 10 weeks old , so I guess that make her born date September 7th, 2014. The first couple nights at home were a bit trying as the dog cried big time when put into the sleeping crate. I purchased a small crate for her in an effort to crate train her. The little girl named Charlie follows us every where and is immediately alarmed if we leave her sight. She is no Meghan, but I am sure we will grow to love as much as we did Meghan.

11/05/14 Training this dog is going to be a real challenge. I guess we are going to have to place her in the crate inside the house more often to get her potty trained. She has obviously never been in a crate before, as she starts this horrible sounding crying big time immediately upon entering the crate. Last night some how Linda left one of the doors open and she escaped into the house making several mess's about the first floor. Thank God we have no carpet down stairs as it is all tile and wood. On the pro side this is the friendliest dog I have ever encountered, wanting to be near Linda or me at all times. She watches us close like a hawk and follows one of us where ever we go. She loves to play with anything until she tires her self out.

12/15/14 We dog sat for Dee Humphrey's new canine named Maxwell a rescue Rat Terrier. She adopted the dog and 3 days later went to Las Vegas for a vacation. She ended up getting a heart attack and had a 5 way bypass in Las Vegas and was unable to take the dog back until she recovered. Maxwell got along so well with Charlie dog, so we asked Dee if we could keep her and she said yes. So we are now a two dog family.

2/2/15 It was the final class of beginning puppy school for Charlie this night. She continues to be a friendly little active dog. She weighs about 10.7 pounds now. Linda is still having fits trying to potty train her. We are both very happy with this engaging little canine who was breed to get the fox

2/17/15 The second night of Charlie's Intermediate puppy school. We have a couple of playmates in class this time; a full size Schnauzer Beagle mix who is a real challenge for Charlie to handle. This dog is enough to make me quit the class as he barks incessantly with a noisy Beagle bay obnoxious sound. The other dog a timid terrier Cha Chow Wow mix, who is closer to Charlie's size. They get along find if the Schnauzer stays away.

3/19/2016 It took forever to house train Charlie perhaps close to 9 months! Charlie is bout 1.5 years old now and Linda and I really enjoy her company a lot even though she is a bit of a hellion. She has an outgoing cheerful personality loving all people and all dogs. On the negative side she chews her bed up completely destroying it routinely. I have been successful in training her not to chew my computer wires, but there are still many things she will go after. She loves toys of all kinds. The latest is the Stampede Jeep which she will chase constanly for up to 45 minutes.

Maxwell and Charlie are incessant buddies and have great time rumping around with each other and fighting to maintain possesion of their various toys.

In summary owning dogs is a rewarding pass time. I get along better with my dogs than with most humans in my life.

The Border Terrier Dog Breed

General Appearance: He is an active terrier of medium bone, strongly put together, suggesting endurance and agility, but rather narrow in shoulder, body and quarter. The body is covered with a somewhat broken though close-fitting and intensely wiry jacket. The characteristic "otter" head with its keen eye, combined with a body poise which is "at the alert," gives a look of fearless and implacable determination characteristic of the breed. Since the Border Terrier is a working terrier of a size to go to ground and able, within reason, to follow a horse, his conformation should be such that he be ideally built to do his job. No deviations from this ideal conformation should be permitted, which would impair his usefulness in running his quarry to earth and in bolting it therefrom. For this work he must be alert, active and agile, and capable of squeezing through narrow apertures and rapidly traversing any kind of terrain. His head, "like that of an otter," is distinctive, and his temperament ideally exemplifies that of a terrier. By nature he is good-tempered, affectionate, obedient, and easily trained. In the field he is hard as nails "game as they come" and driving in attack. It should be the aim of Border Terrier breeders to avoid such over emphasis of any point in the Standard as might lead to unbalanced exaggeration.

Size, Proportion, Substance: Weight - Dogs, 13 to 15½ pounds, bitches, 11½ to 14 pounds, are appropriate weights for Border Terriers in hardworking condition. The proportions should be that the height at the withers is slightly greater than the distance from the withers to the tail, i.e. by possibly 1 to 1½ inches in a 14-pound dog. Of medium bone, strongly put together, suggesting endurance and agility, but rather narrow in shoulder, body and quarter.

Head: Similar to that of an otter. Eyes dark hazel and full of fire and intelligence. Moderate in size, neither prominent nor small and beady. Ears small, V-shaped and of moderate thickness, dark preferred. Not set high on the head but somewhat on the side, and dropping forward close to the cheeks. They should not break above the level of the skull. Moderately broad and flat in skull with plenty of width between the eyes and between the ears. A slight, moderately broad curve at the stop rather than a pronounced indentation. Cheeks slightly full. Muzzle short and "well filled." A dark muzzle is characteristic and desirable. A few short whiskers are natural to the breed. Nose black, and of a good size. Teeth strong, with a scissors bite, large in proportion to size of dog.

Neck, Topline, Body:Neck clean, muscular and only long enough to give a well-balanced appearance. It should gradually widen into the shoulder. Back strong but laterally supple, with no suspicion of a dip behind the shoulder. Loin strong. Body deep, fairly narrow and of sufficient length to avoid any suggestions of lack of range and agility. The body should be capable of being spanned by a man's hands behind the shoulders. Brisket not excessively deep or narrow. Deep ribs carried well back and not oversprung in view of the desired depth and narrowness of the body. The underline fairly straight. Tail moderately short, thick at the base, then tapering. Not set on too high. Carried gaily when at the alert, but not over the back. When at ease, a Border may drop his stern.

Forequarters: Shoulders well laid back and of good length, the blades converging to the withers gradually from a brisket not excessively deep or narrow. Forelegs straight and not too heavy in bone and placed slightly wider than in a Fox Terrier. Feet small and compact. Toes should point forward and be moderately arched with thick pads.

Hindquarters: Muscular and racy, with thighs long and nicely molded. Stifles well bent and hocks well let down. Feet as in front.

Coat: A short and dense undercoat covered with a very wiry and somewhat broken topcoat which should lie closely, but it must not show any tendency to curl or wave. With such a coat a Border should be able to be exhibited almost in his natural state, nothing more in the way of trimming being needed than a tidying up of the head, neck and feet. Hide very thick and loose fitting.

Color: Red, grizzle and tan, blue and tan, or wheaten. A small amount of white may be allowed on the chest but white on the feet should be penalized. A dark muzzle is characteristic and desirable.

Gait: Straight and rhythmical before and behind, with good length of stride and flexing of stifle and hock. The dog should respond to his handler with a gait which is free, agile and quick.

Temperament: His temperament ideally exemplifies that of a terrier. By nature he is good-tempered, affectionate, obedient, and easily trained. In the field he is hard as nails, "game as they come" and driving in attack.